Rayman
DS is basically a port of the classic N 64 version
of Rayman 2 which is arguably the best Rayman version
to date but I think the PSP would have done this game
more justice than the DS. Graphically the game is
good but it's far from perfect. The screen is too
small and certain details are difficult to make out
such as some pitfalls and traps. The experience is
best left to a newcomer. It's not recommended for
a trip down memory lane since you may not recognize
the old neighborhood.

Rayman
DS utilizes the touch screen control system to replicate
the control of the N 64. It comes very close, even
replicating the touch-sensitive analog stick that
would make Rayman tiptoe, walk and run as you pushed
forward on it. Moving the stylus at various speeds
will result in Rayman moving at these various speeds.

Memorable
characters and a real off-beat sense of humor are
traits that separate Rayman from a host of generic
action platformer games. He's not exactly popular
enough to be a flagship mascot like Mario but to many
of us gamers he's even better. His personality is
nicely captured in Rayman DS though all of it is text
based. The voiceovers are cartoon jibberish which
does work to some degree since it would be impossible
to store all of the dialog in this game without it
somehow affecting the gameplay or graphic quality.

Ray
and his pals begin the game locked in cages. The evil
pirate Razorbeard, who has imprisoned them, has broken
the heart of the world into a thousand pieces. One
of Ray's pals that wasn't locked up, Murfy, frees
Ray and explains that they have to collect all thousand
pieces of the broken heart which have taken on a life
of their own. They are called Lums and they are tricky
to capture.

Ray's
abilities include running, jumping, ledge hanging,
swimming, shooting and spinning like a helicopter
to float over large expanses and to keep from falling
to his death. There are unlimited continues which
make things easier especially since you can't always
see where you're going or what might be lying in wait
for you around the next platform. Shooting is facilitated
by a lock-on feature which will target the enemy as
long as you're facing in his direction. This allows
you more freedom to move around while avoiding taking
hits from the enemy.

For
the most part the animation is good. There are some
low res textures but they remain in the background.
The environments display various lush tropical forests
complete with waterfalls, streams and ancient volcanoes.
The sound effects could have been more varied as you'll
tend to hear the same booms and bangs over and over.

Being
a Rayman fans it's frustrating to play a game that's
so close to the original but yet so far away. Since
it doesn't use the touch screen in any innovative
ways it really doesn't make much sense for this game
to be on this system.